Ar-mug-eddon
by sbartist357
Summary: The penguins accidentally break Skipper's mug while he's off on a mission. Now they have to fix it before he gets back. . . or else.
1. Broken Mug

**Hello, everybody and welcome to another sbartist357 PoM story! :) This is my last story for 2017; afterward, I'm going to go on break to finish up with school and whip up some more fanfics, but for now, enjoy this story! This one will be finished before I go on hiatus. :)**

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"Well, men, I'll see you in a few hours." Skipper said. He was standing near the ladder of the HQ, about to go on a solo mission. The other penguins were standing in the middle of the room.

"Bye, Skippah!" Private chirped. "What's the mission about?"

"Classified."

"Oh."

"Kowalski, you're in charge until I get back." The tall penguin saluted.

"Yes, sir."

"Don't overdo it this time, okay?" Skipper warned, referring to the time he had gone off to complete P.E.L.T. Kowalski frowned.

"Fine." Rico thought of something. He waddled over to the leader, regurgitated a can of sardines, and handed it to him.

"FISH!" He grumbled happily.

"Thank you, Rico."

"Uh-huh!" Skipper smiled at his team.

"Alright, see you boys later!" He climbed up the ladder and exited the HQ. The others watched him leave, then turned to look at each other.

"So, Kowalski, what do you want to do?" Private asked. The lieutenant shrugged.

"I don't know. Free day?" The others smiled.

"That's a good idea!"

"Yeah!"

"Okay, then! Free day it is!" Kowalski went over to the side door. "I'll be in my lab if you need me!" He entered and shut the door behind him. Rico took Miss Perky and sat in the corner to brush her hair while Private waddled over to the TV and turned it on.

A while later, everything was still going smoothly. Kowalski was tinkering with something in his lab as usual. He stopped to grab a screwdriver. As he went to retrieve it, he passed by his whiteboard. Something on it caught his eye and he paused to look at it: There was a drawing of him sitting in front of the TV with the time 9:00 AM written underneath it. Kowalski's eyes widened. Right! There was going to be a documentary on atoms today! He glanced at the clock to see that it was 8:55 AM; he still had five minutes. He rushed out of his lab. Hopefully, Private wouldn't be-

Never mind. Private was still sitting in front of the TV; apparently, today happened to be a 24-hour lunacorn marathon. Kowalski stared at the kiddie show and grimaced; he didn't think he'd ever understand Private's love for it. He waddled over to him and tapped his shoulder.

"Umm. . . Private? Can I watch TV now?" Private looked up at him.

"But Kowalski, the next episode is going to be a brand-new one! Princess Self-Respectra is going to-"

"Private, you've watched enough TV. Besides, you can watch the new episode of 'The Lunacorns' when they show it again." Private frowned. Kowalski thought of another tactic.

"Private, don't the lunacorns teach you about sharing?"

"Well, yes. . ."

"Then you should share the TV with me." Private thought about it. "Prince Shares-a-Lot would want you to," Kowalski added. He glanced at the clock: 8:58 AM. Finally, Private sighed.

"Okay." He handed the remote to Kowalski, who smiled.

"Thanks, Private." The small penguin nodded and went to do something else. Kowalski flipped through the channels until he found the one he was looking for. The narrator began speaking in a dull, monotone voice.

"Atoms: The building blocks of life. . ." Kowalski smiled. By this time, Rico had finished brushing his doll's hair and went over to the TV.

"'Ey! My turn!" He grunted. Kowalski glared at him.

"What do you mean it's your turn? I just got here!"

"Ninja," Rico grumbled; he meant that there was a special "Shirtless Ninja Action Theater" presentation coming on. Kowalski groaned; WHY did all their favorite shows have to be on at the same exact time?

"Look, Rico, I know you want to watch shirtless ninjas beating each other up, but this is a brand-new documentary about atoms!" Rico suddenly thought of something.

"Kaboom?"

"Umm. . . They might show the atom bomb but, if they do, it'll only be a brief mentioning of it." Rico gave him an unimpressed look and crossed his flippers.

"Pfft. Boring." Kowalski gasped.

"'Boring'!? What do you mean 'boring'!? Just because it won't be all about explosives doesn't make it boring! Everything in the entire universe is made up of atoms! They're the building blocks of-" Rico, having heard enough of the scientist's nerdy rambling, made a grab for the remote. The two of them began fighting. Private stopped playing with his lunacorn doll and looked up at them.

"Guys, stop! You're acting so childish!" He put his doll down and went over to break them up. Kowalski and Rico continued tussling over the remote.

"Rico, give it back!"

"Uh-uh!" Private grabbed onto the remote, trying to wrestle it from their grasp.

"Kowalski, Rico! Calm down! Prince Shares-a-Lot would say-"

"Ugh, Private! You're not helping! LET GO, RICO!"

"NO!" Rico gave one final tug, and Kowalski and Private lost their grip and fell backward. Unfortunately, the force caused the remote to slip out of Rico's flippers as well. It flew through the air and collided with Skipper's coffee mug, which was sitting on the table. The cup crashed into the wall next to one of the portholes and landed hard on the concrete floor. The penguins got up and stared at it. Kowalski sighed in relief.

"Whew! That was close! Do you realize how mad Skipper would be if his favorite coffee mug-" Suddenly, the mug's handle snapped off. ". . . broke?" There was an awkward silence. Kowalski glanced at the others.

"DITCH THE EVIDENCE!" He hastily picked up the pieces and stepped on Rico's foot. His beak opened like a trash can and Kowalski went to throw the mug inside. Private raised his flippers.

"Wait!" Kowalski and Rico froze and looked at him. "Skippah is bound to notice that his favorite mug suddenly goes missing." The tall penguin lifted his foot off Rico's and the scarred penguin closed his beak. Kowalski lowered the mug and nodded.

"You're right. But we can't just tell him about this; he'll kill us!"

"But we're his team! Skippah wouldn't kill us over a mug, would he?" Kowalski gave him a deadpan look.

"Would Rico kill over his dolly?" Private stared at Rico, who regurgitated his chainsaw and revved it for emphasis.

"Yes. Yes, he would."

"Exactly." There was a minute of silence. Private tapped his beak in thought.

"I know! How about we try to fix it?" He suggested. Kowalski smiled.

"Good idea! Maybe we can fix it!"

"Yeah!" Rico grunted. Kowalski turned and headed into his lab.

"Come on! We have to repair Skipper's mug before he comes back!" The others followed him inside.

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 **Well, what will happen next? Will they manage to fix Skipper's coffee mug before he comes back from his classified solo mission? :O If you like the story so far, be sure to follow and/or favorite it! You can also send me a review! I always appreciate the feedback (which is why I mention it so often). ^v^ By the way, thanks to everyone who reviewed the final chapter of "Party King"; reading your comments makes my day! :D**


	2. So Many Fixes, So Little Time

**Hi! Sorry about the delay; my internet stopped working and then I got sick. XP Anyways, thank you to Penguins005 and killakirb (Guest) for reviewing the first chapter! :D I've replied below.**

 **Penguins005: Thank you so much! :)**

 **killakirb (Guest): Yep. Yay! I love your enthusiasm! XD Aww, thanks. :3 I'm going to miss posting new stories here, too, but I promise I will be back next year (I'll try to give an official date at the end of this story). Thank you for understanding; school is very important, indeed. :)**

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The penguins stood around a lab table in the middle of the room. Kowalski put the coffee mug down, went over to a cabinet, and grabbed a small tube of glue.

"Okay, this is the strongest glue I have." He said, returning to the table. "This should do the job." Kowalski squeezed the clear adhesive onto each end of the handle and carefully positioned it on the mug. After making some final adjustments, he stepped back to examine his work.

"There. Good as new!" The mug's handle fell off again. "What?! Why didn't it work?" Kowalski picked up the tube of glue and looked at it.

"Oh. The glue expired. So much for that, I guess." Private gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, Kowalski. We'll think of something else." Rico came up with an idea. He regurgitated a couple of chewed-up wads of pink bubblegum and stuck them onto each end of the handle. He reattached it and spread his flippers out dramatically.

"Ta-da!" Kowalski and Private studied it.

"Umm. . . Rico, I'm sure Skippah will notice that right away." Rico frowned.

"Aww." He pulled the gum off and swallowed it. Private perked up.

"Ooh! Kowalski, what about that invention of yours that was supposed to make things fresher? Maybe that will work!" He suggested. Kowalski smiled.

"Great idea!" He ran over to a different cabinet, retrieved the device, and aimed it at the mug. "Okay, stand back!" Private and Rico went to stand against the wall by the door. Kowalski fired at the mug. After a bright flash of light, the penguins walked back over to the table; instead of a newly-fixed mug, a block of metal sat in its place.

"Well, that didn't work," Kowalski said.

"What happened to Skippah's mug?" Private inquired.

"You're looking at it." He replied. "Hmm. . . It seems like my invention only turns objects back to their original state."

"You mean Skippah's mug started out as a block of metal?"

"Yep."

"Interesting."

"I guess we have to think of something else." Kowalski zapped the cube and it changed back into a broken mug. Private grabbed some clear tape sitting nearby and used it to put the handle back on.

"How about this?" He asked, gesturing to it.

"It's less obvious than Rico's idea, but I doubt it will hold when Skipper pours coffee into it."

"Oh." Private peeled the tape off and the handle fell back down. Rico grumbled another idea in gibberish.

"Weld it back together?" Kowalski asked. The scarred penguin nodded.

"Uh-huh!"

"That makes sense! Good thinking, Rico!" Kowalski got the welding equipment and handed it to him. After Kowalski and Private waddled a short distance away, Rico went to work. He lowered the welding mask over his face and started repairing the mug. A few minutes later, he finished and beckoned Kowalski and Private back over. The lieutenant picked it up and studied it.

"Great job! It looks like it was never broken!" He complimented. Rico smiled.

"Thank you."

"Let's test it, just to make sure."

"Okay." The scarred penguin mumbled. He and Private followed Kowalski to the sink, where he put the mug down and filled it with water. He turned the faucet off and carefully picked it up; the mug stayed intact.

"Yay! It worked!" Private cheered. Kowalski smiled, poured the water out, and turned to face the others.

"We're saved!" The mug broke apart a third time, leaving Kowalski holding only the handle. "Or not." Rico picked up the other piece and stared blankly at it. He growled angrily and raised it, about to chuck it across the room. The others stopped him.

"Wait, Rico! That's not going to help!" Kowalski shouted. Rico huffed and lowered his flipper. Private spoke up.

"Is it possible to make a new mug?" The tall penguin shook his head.

"No, that will take too long. . ." An idea came to him. "Wait! Maybe we can buy a new mug!"

"I don't think Skippah would like that; he's so used to this one."

"No, Private, not a new one completely," Kowalski explained. "A new identical one!"

"Oh!" The young penguin understood the plan. "That should work! Where are we going to get one, though? It would take too long to drive to a store."

"We can find one online! There are tons of sellers on there; one of them is bound to sell an exact replica! Let's go to Alice's office and start searching!" Kowalski put the broken mug back on the table and headed for the door. Without warning, he stopped, causing the others to plow into him.

"Oof!" Private exclaimed. Kowalski turned around.

"Sorry. I just thought of something."

"What?"

"Maybe we should make a temporary decoy to put on the table." Rico nodded and went back to the mug. He squinted his eyes, studied it closely, and held his flippers in front of him like an artist would do while studying a canvas.

"Hmm. . ."

 _ **Ten Minutes Later. . .**_

"That's supposed to be Skippah's mug?" Private questioned, looking at the decoy sitting on the table; it was just a square-shaped piece of cardboard with a crudely-drawn "mug" scribbled on it with gray crayon. Rico smiled and nodded.

"Yep!"

"But it doesn't look anything like it!" Rico grumbled in gibberish.

"Abstract!?"

"Uh-huh." Kowalski adjusted the cardboard standee and looked at Private.

"It's good enough."

"But Kowalski, Skippah isn't going to fall for that!"

"He doesn't have to; it's just meant to buy us some extra time if he comes back before we do."

"And how much time would that be?" Private questioned, crossing his flippers and raising an eyebrow. Kowalski whipped out his abacus and slid the beads back and forth, mumbling to himself as he did so.

"Let's see. . . given Skipper's attention to detail. . . carry the two. . . I think it safe to say that this decoy will buy us. . . about 0.025 seconds." Private's eyes widened.

"That's it?! What happens if he comes back and sees it, then?" Kowalski put his abacus away and looked at him with complete seriousness.

"Then this whole thing turns into a deadly game of hide-and-seek. At least with the decoy, we add an extra 0.025 seconds to our lives before Skipper comes looking for us and hunts us down one-by-one." Private gulped. Kowalski headed toward the ladder.

"Well, let's go; we don't have much time!" He and the others exited the HQ.

As soon as they left, the cardboard standee tipped over.

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 **Well, they're doomed. . . or are they? Will they be able to find another mug online? :O Will Skipper come back early and commence hunting them down one-by-one?**


	3. To the Internet!

**Voila! The next chapter is here, on time and everything! :D Thanks, Penguins005 for reviewing! :) Okay, let's continue!**

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Getting into Alice's office was easy, much to the penguins' relief. They climbed onto the desk and turned the computer on.

"Okay, once I log in, I'll start searching for an identical copy of Skipper's mug. Once we find one, we'll buy it right away with the fastest shipping speed possible; money's no object." Kowalski explained. Private raised his flipper.

"Umm. . . How are we going to pay for it?"

"We'll just use Alice's credit card."

"But, isn't that. . . wrong?" Private asked.

"Technically, yes, but it's better than facing Skipper's wrath." Rico rummaged through the desk drawers and found Alice's credit card.

"Got it!" He grunted, putting it down next to the keyboard. Kowalski nodded at him.

"Nice work, Rico."

The computer finished booting up and he returned his attention to the screen. The tall penguin quickly logged in and opened a web browser. He went onto Whamazon, typed "mug" into the search bar, and hit "Search". After the page loaded, he scrolled through the results. Fortunately, he found an exact replica of Skipper's mug and clicked on it to bring up the product page. Sadly, Whamazon was all out of that type of mug.

"What!? How can they be all sold out?!" Kowalski exclaimed.

"How about those other offers?" Private asked, pointing to the link underneath Whamazon's price. Kowalski clicked on it. The third-party sellers' page loaded and the penguins stared at it in shock – they were all sold out, too!

"Oh, dear!" Private gasped. Kowalski opened a new tab page and typed in another website address.

"Okay, it's fine," He said, trying to sound calm. "We'll just try gBay." He typed "mug" into gBay's search bar and hit the search button. In a strange case of inconvenience, all the sellers there were out of stock as well.

"What!?" Rico grumbled in annoyance, placing his flippers on his hips.

"Kowalski, what now!?" Private inquired, starting to panic. Kowalski tapped his beak in thought.

"Alright, I'll just go on Poogle and do one last search." He closed the other tabs, typed "mug" directly into the browser's search bar, and hit "Enter". He clicked the "Shopping" heading and held his breath; this was their last shot. There were tons of sellers with Skipper's mug, but all of them were faded, so Kowalski couldn't click on them. Two big, red words in all-capital letters were splashed across the entire page:

SOLD OUT.

Kowalski's beak dropped. He ran over to the monitor and pressed his face and flippers against it.

"The entire internet is sold out of Skipper's mug?! AHHHHH!" He started running in circles on the desk. Rico and Private glanced at each other. Finally, Rico raised his flipper and slapped Kowalski across the face as he ran past, causing him to fall and land flat on his back. Private leaned over him.

"Calm down, Kowalski! We need another plan! What are we going to do?" Kowalski took a deep breath and looked at his teammate.

"Write our last wills and testaments and wait for a terrible fate in which we all die horribly while screaming our mothers' names." Private stared at him in disbelief.

"That's your plan?! What kind of plan is that?"

"My last one." Rico face-flippered.

"Oh, boy." Private grabbed Kowalski's shoulders and shook him gently.

"Kowalski, surely there's another idea! Think! You're the options guy!" The lieutenant squinted in determination.

"You're right." He got up, produced his clipboard from out of nowhere, and scribbled something on it. "If we hurry, we can try and fix Skipper's mug one more time." Private smiled.

"Perfect!" Just then, they heard footsteps approaching. "Let's go!" Kowalski shut the computer off and the team escaped out the window. Seconds later, Alice walked in and noticed her credit card lying on the desk.

"What's my credit card doing sitting here on the desk?" She picked it up and stared quizzically at it before putting it back in the desk drawer.

The penguins slid as fast as they could back to their habitat. When they climbed down the ladder, they immediately noticed the mug decoy had fallen over.

"Oh, no!" Private cried, placing his flippers on his beak. Kowalski waddled over to the table to get a closer look.

"Well, that didn't work. Fortunately, Skipper didn't come back yet."

"How do you know for sure?"

"Well, one, if he had seen it, it wouldn't still be in one piece, two, we would have heard him screaming, and three, we didn't die yet."

"That's good. . . all except that last part." Private replied, tapping the tips of his flippers together nervously. Kowalski glanced at the clock.

"It's almost one o'clock; Skipper left at seven. He'll be back soon, so let's try to fix his mug quickly!" The penguins ran back into the lab.

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 **Let's hope they actually fix his mug this time, or else they'll be on the receiving end of Skipper's wrath! D:**


	4. One Last Fix

**Welcome back! :) I received more reviews, so thank you to Penguins005 and Kirby the jolly fellow! I've responded below! :D**

 **Penguins005: Thanks! XD I was picturing that part in my head, so I decided to put it in the story.**

 **Kirby the jolly fellow: Yep (I wanted to avoid free advertising)! ;) Thank you! ^v^ Hmm. . . Yeah, I'd much rather deal with Alice, too. XD**

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Kowalski, Private, and Rico went over to the lab table; the mug was the same way as when they had left it. The tall penguin pulled out his clipboard and made a list.

"Okay, let's see. We tried glue, gum, my invention, tape, and welding. Any other ideas?" Private raised his flipper.

"Umm. . . Don't you have more glue? You said the one you tried before was expired."

"Oh, yeah!" Kowalski put his clipboard down, rushed over to a nearby cabinet, and started rummaging through it. "I know I have some around here somewhere. . ." While Kowalski searched the lab for glue, Private looked at Rico.

"Do you have any glue?" Rico poked his stomach in different spots to check.

"Hmm. . ." He regurgitated a small glue stick and held it up. Private shook his head.

"I don't think that's strong enough, Rico." The scarred penguin tossed it aside and coughed up a hot glue gun.

"Huh?" He grumbled, holding it up. Private tapped his beak and turned to look at Kowalski, who was now searching in a drawer.

"Kowalski, would a hot glue gun fix Skippah's mug?" The scientist stopped searching for a second and glanced at him.

"That depends on the temperature range of the glue and the item you're gluing. It might work if we used a high-temperature glue, but the heat from Skipper's coffee would most likely cause the handle to fall off again." Private frowned.

"Oh." Rico swallowed the glue gun. There were a few minutes of silence as the two of them watched Kowalski continue to search.

"Umm. . . Is there anything we can do to help?" The young penguin inquired. Kowalski thought.

"Actually, yeah. Go and keep watch in case Skipper comes back." The others nodded and walked out of the lab. Private pulled their periscope down and looked through it. Rico mumbled something in gibberish.

"No, I don't see him yet." The young penguin replied.

Back in the lab, Kowalski was growing worried; his lab was well-organized, but he just couldn't find any glue. Although come to think of it, he didn't typically use glue while inventing; could it be that he was completely out of glue? He shoved the thought aside and decided to keep searching.

"What is it with today?!" He muttered. "First, Skipper's mug breaks, then our attempts to fix it don't work, the internet is sold out of them, and now I CAN'T FIND ANY GLUE!" Kowalski stood up and threw his flippers in the air. He decided to tear the other side of the lab apart; now was not the time for cleanliness. As he went to search that area, he stopped in front of Skipper's mirror and glanced at it; he looked frazzled. Kowalski took a deep breath.

"Okay, Kowalski, calm down." He coaxed himself, staring at his reflection. "With your intellect, you'll fix Skipper's mug before you can recite Newton's Third Law!" At that moment, he heard Private's voice.

"Kowalski! Skippah's coming!" The lieutenant's eyes widened in panic; all three of them were done for if he came back in and saw his mug was broken. Kowalski's reflection blinked and walked out of the mirror's view.

"Well, good luck with that." The real Kowalski stared blankly at the mirror for a second before freaking out; he would have to figure out how the heck that happened later.

"AHHHHH!" He ran around the lab, tossing aside boxes, inventions, and whatever else in a desperate attempt to find some glue. After finding nothing and leaving his once-immaculate laboratory in shambles, he ran back to the table, which happened to be the only thing in the entire room that was left untouched.

"GUYS, COME AND HELP ME SLAP THIS THING BACK TOGETHER!" Private and Rico ran into the lab and joined him.

"What are we going to do?!" The small penguin inquired. Kowalski held his flipper out toward Rico.

"Rico, glue gun." The demolitions expert obliged and regurgitated the item. Kowalski plugged it in and waited impatiently for the device to heat up. He looked at the youngest penguin.

"Private, where did you see Skipper?"

"Over by the front gate."

"How fast was he going?"

"He was just walking. Why?"

"That gives us more time," Kowalski replied, pulling his abacus out and calculating. "Sixty seconds, to be exact." Rico touched the glue gun and picked it up; it was ready to use. He applied some glue to each end of the piece of metal, put the glue gun down, and carefully re-attached the handle, applying a small amount of pressure to secure it.

"Okay!" He grumbled.

"Great!" Kowalski unplugged the glue gun and they rushed out of the lab with the mug. The others watched as the lieutenant carefully put the mug back on the table, positioning it exactly the way it was before it broke. Private looked puzzled.

"Wait, how did you remember-"

"No time to explain!" Kowalski interjected, making some final adjustments. "There!" At that moment, they heard the fish hatch open.

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 **AHHH! Cliffhanger! What will happen? :[**


	5. Skipper Returns

**Hey, everyone! Here is the last chapter of the story! Thank you so much to everyone who favorited, followed, and/or reviewed this! :D Speaking of which, thank you for Penguins005 and MrsBlue (Guest) for your feedback! I've replied below. :)**

 **Penguins005: Yep, he's back! Well, you'll have to read the chapter to find out! ;)**

 **MrsBlue (Guest): Yay! :D Keep reading, then!**

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The penguins quickly stood in formation as Skipper climbed down the ladder. He turned to look at them.

"Hey, boys!"

"Hi, Skippah!" Private said happily. "Where did you go?"

"I went to visit the sister I never had." He said sarcastically. "I told you it's classified, Private." The young penguin mentally slapped himself.

"Oh, right." Skipper cocked an eyebrow and placed his flippers on his hips.

"Are you okay, young Private?"

"Umm. . . Yes, Skippah! Never better!" He gave the leader the cutest smile he could muster. Skipper stared at him questioningly for a moment longer before turning his attention to the others.

"Rico!" The mohawked penguin flinched.

"Huh?" Skipper frowned.

"I was just going to say that those sardines were delicious." Rico relaxed and laughed uneasily.

"Oh."

"Why are you guys acting so nervous?" The leader inquired. Kowalski spoke up.

"It's nothing, Skipper. We just didn't think you'd be back so soon."

"I told you I'd be back in a few hours."

"Oh, right. We just. . . forgot! Yes! That's it." The scientist explained, smiling nervously.

". . . Yeah." Skipper's gaze fell onto the coffee mug. "Well, I think I'll have a nice, hot cup of fish coffee." The other penguins stiffened; fortunately for them, Skipper didn't seem to notice. He waddled over, picked up his mug, and went over to his coffee maker. While his back was turned, the others exchanged glances.

"What should we do?" Private mouthed. Kowalski shrugged.

"Maybe if we're really quiet, we can sneak out." He silently replied. Private and Rico nodded. They tiptoed toward the ladder. However, when they were in front of the bunks, Skipper turned back around, holding his mug with one flipper wrapped around the handle and the other gently holding it from underneath. They froze.

"Where are you going?" He asked. Kowalski scratched the back of his head, trying to think of something to say.

"We were just. . . umm. . . getting out of your way! Yeah. We know how you like to sit at the table and enjoy your coffee, right, guys?"

"Yes!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Oh. Thanks." Skipper walked over to the table but, instead of sitting down, he turned to face them. "Actually, I think I'll just stand." He noticed their worried expressions.

"Why are you guys staring at me like that? You look like you accidentally broke my mug and are hoping I don't find out or something." Kowalski, Rico, and Private just stared at him with wide eyes. He shrugged and lifted the mug to his beak. Almost instantly, the handle snapped off and the mug crashed to the floor, its contents splashing everywhere and creating a small puddle at his feet.

"What the deuce!?" Skipper exclaimed, taking a step back and staring at the mess with a mix of surprise and shock. A second later, he looked up at his team, his eyes burning with fury.

"YOU DID BREAK MY MUG!" He growled. "WHICH ONE OF YOU IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?" The penguins pointed at each other. Skipper crossed his flippers.

"You have just five seconds to make up your minds." They glanced at each other for a moment. Finally, Kowalski and Private both pointed at Rico, who gulped. Skipper walked up to him, his flippers behind his back.

"Rico, is this true?" He asked, his voice low and dangerously angry. The scarred penguin slowly nodded.

"Uh-huh." Private tried to explain what happened.

"Skippah, it was an-" The leader held up his flipper, and Private fell silent. Kowalski gave him a sympathetic look; nothing they could say would change what was about to happen. Skipper leaned closer to Rico, who backed up until he was pressed against the lab door. Rico looked away from the leader's piercing glare and closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable. Then, to everyone's surprise, Skipper backed off and shrugged.

"It's okay." Rico opened his eyes and looked at him, completely dumbstruck.

"What?"

"No, seriously. It's okay." Kowalski and Private were at a loss for words; he wasn't mad at all? Finally, Kowalski found his voice.

"B-B-But that was your favorite mug!" He stammered.

"And it was your only one, at that!" Private added. Skipper smiled.

"Not exactly." He waddled over to the corner of the room across from the TV and punched a code into a hidden keypad. A section of the wall next to the side door flipped around, revealing a secret storage space filled with tons of identical mugs. The others stared at it, mouths agape. Skipper went over, grabbed one of the replicas, turned to face them, and placed his free flipper on his hip. He grinned even more upon seeing their expressions.

"You had extras. . . all this time?" Kowalski asked, shocked.

"Yep."

"That explains why everyone was sold out; you bought them all!" Private exclaimed. Skipper nodded.

"That I did, Private."

"We spent almost the entire time you were gone trying to fix your mug!" Kowalski explained. "We thought you were going to kill us!" Skipper pointed at himself.

"Me? Sheesh, I wouldn't be that upset about it. I'm not psychotic like Rico; overly paranoid, maybe, but not psychotic." Private and Rico glared at Kowalski, who smiled sheepishly.

"Well, I've been known to be wrong about things before. . ." He mumbled, shrugging.

"Besides, I knew you guys broke my mug the entire time."

"Wait, you knew?" They asked. The leader rolled his eyes.

"Well, yeah. My solo mission was actually just to see what you did while I was gone." Everyone gawked at him.

"You mean you were watching us the whole time?" Private questioned.

"Of course. It was actually pretty entertaining." He gestured to the cardboard standee, which was still lying face-down on the table. "Oh, good job on that abstract decoy, by the way; it really captured the. . . hmm. . . The color was. . . erm. . . Well, it was good." Rico smiled.

"Thank you."

"Any other questions?" Skipper asked, raising an eyebrow coyly. Private raised his flipper.

"Umm. . . Just one. If you knew that we broke your mug the whole time, why didn't you say something in the first place?"

"Well, young Private, I need to have some fun every now and then. You should've seen the looks on your faces when I said you looked like you were hoping I wouldn't figure out you broke the mug." The leader chuckled. "Oh, your 'nonchalant' behavior when I came in was a dead giveaway; even if I hadn't been watching you boys, I would've figured it out, anyway." He waddled to another part of the HQ to get some cleaning supplies.

"Don't worry about the mess; I'll clean it up." Skipper waved at the puddle dismissively. "Then I'll have myself a cup of fish coffee. . . for real this time!" When he was out of sight, the other penguins face-flippered.

 _ **The End**_

* * *

 **There you have it. How many of you thought Skipper was going to do something drastic? ;) I hope you all enjoyed the ending! XD** **As always, feel free to follow and/or favorite me, and don't forget to review this and/or my other stories!** **See you next time! :D**


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